


Tiny Terrors

by Danruu



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Arachnophobia, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, a smidge of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-21
Updated: 2015-01-21
Packaged: 2018-03-08 11:03:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3206813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danruu/pseuds/Danruu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The mighty Inquisitor, Herald of Andraste, is scared of spiders. Cullen helps out. (One-shot/drabbley)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tiny Terrors

**Author's Note:**

> So when you're in the Fade you get attacked by the "tiny terrors", which are, of course, all spiders. The usually fearless Libby Trevelyan is scared of spiders, to the amusement of Cullen. 
> 
> It's an idea that's been in my head for a while!

It had been a nice idea to surprise the Inquisitor during the day. Libby had often commented on how it was always her making the long trek to his office on the battlements, and never the other way around. Cullen had laughed and pointed out she was rarely in one place for long, but the statement had still stayed with him. Today he was keen to rectify it.

 

“No. No no no. Get away! No!”

 

Cullen was alarmed by the sounds coming from the Inquisitor’s room as he approached the door, and he had his hand on his sword as he ran up the stairs, expecting to see demons or Venatori or something.

 

Instead he saw no one but Libby, who was crouched on her desk like a cat and looking terrified. Was it magic? Cullen blinked, looking around for any sign of what threat lurked.

 

“What’s going on? I heard shouting?”

 

Libby looked up at him, eyes wide with surprise. “Cullen! Watch out I don’t know where it’s gone...”

 

Cullen was so confused. Was this a mage thing perhaps? “Where what’s gone?” He asked; hand still on the hilt of his sword, just in case.

 

“The spider! It was on the floor but then it ran and I jumped up on here and I don’t know where it is...” Libby looked around again. “I swear when I see it I’m going to fireball it to the Void...”

 

“A... spider?” Cullen blinked for a moment as he processed what had just been said. And then he couldn’t stop himself from laughing, laughing so hard he was almost bent double from how breathless it made him. Libby obviously did not see the funny side of the situation, and if looks could kill Cullen was fairly sure he would be long buried by now. But somehow that just made him laugh more.

 

“You ass it’s not funny!” She looked for something to throw at him, opting for a ball of paper that had once been a report. “I hate spiders. It needs to die or leave and I’m not getting down from here until it’s gone.”

 

Cullen took a couple of deep breaths to try and stop himself from laughing at his dear Inquisitor’s obvious distress. “Okay, okay. I’ll try moving the furniture alright? I wouldn’t recommend a fireball though; Leliana wouldn’t be pleased if you burned down Skyhold over this...”

 

Libby made an irritated noise and peered over the edge of her desk suspiciously, and Cullen had to bite his lip to stop himself laughing again. Phobias weren’t funny, he reminded himself, and even if he’d seen this woman charge through groups of demons, face down an army of Red Templars with only three companions and a staff, and stand against Corypheus and his Arch Demon Dragon, she still had a right to be scared of something.

 

Spiders though?

 

“I know what you’re thinking.” Libby cut through his thoughts, and when he looked up he saw she was giving him a strange look.

 

“Elizabeth...” He started, trying to placate but always forgetting to use the name she preferred. He’d seen ‘Lady Elizabeth Trevelyan’ in too many reports lately. Orlesians did love the full name and title.

 

“Libby.” She corrected him automatically. “And I know you’re wondering how I can be scared of spiders. There were a lot at the Circle; they’d make webs in the corners of the dormitories.” She suppressed a shudder at the thought. “One of the other apprentices left one on my pillow once as a joke. His eyebrows didn’t survive the argument we had afterwards.”

 

Cullen smiled in amusement. Half his job at Kinloch Hold had been stopping the youngest of the mages from having fights that ended in accidental, or not-so-accidental, magical mishaps. Glorified babysitting Carroll had always called it, but they were some of the few good memories Cullen had from the place.

 

He didn’t have much time to linger on the thought though, as the offending spider finally made a dash across the stone floor, clearly aiming for sanctuary under the rug by the Inquisitor’s bed. To be fair, it _was_ quite a big spider. “There it is!” Libby pointed and scooted back on her desk, sending more papers flying. “For the Maker’s sake Cullen kill it!”

 

“I’m not going to kill it!” Cullen said, laughing again as knelt down to scoop up the arachnid. He had to admit he was glad to be wearing gloves. “There. I’ve got it. Now I’m going to go down to the gardens to let him loose. You’re welcome to join me.”

 

Libby gave him a wary look. “You’re going to throw it at me are you?”

 

“Why would I ever do that?” Cullen spluttered, and it was Libby’s turn to grin as she finally climbed off her desk.

 

“You have siblings. I bet you terrorised them in your own way.”

 

Cullen thought about it for a moment, “I once put a slug in my sister’s shoe.”

 

“See? You’re awful.” Libby laughed, though she still didn’t stand too close as they headed down the stairs and out the doors of her quarters. The garden was quiet, only a few residents of Skyhold reading in sunny spots, and the gardeners working diligently on the herbs that grew there.

 

They found a corner out of sight, and Cullen knelt down to let the spider go, while Libby hung back and tried not to cringe too much. Sometimes she had to remember that the spiders were good things. Cole had said that their webs were needed by the healers; she’d have to keep that in mind.

 

“You know, I didn’t really mind spiders when I was younger. Even after the one on my pillow.” Libby said quietly as Cullen had straightened up. “It was my Harrowing. In the Fade, I saw... so many of them. They were monstrous and twisted... I never saw spiders the same way after that.” Libby sighed. “I know it’s stupid. I feel stupid. I can look an ancient Darkspawn Magister in the eye but can’t face something that can’t even hurt me? Ridiculous.”

 

Cullen felt a twinge of guilt, and he pulled the Inquisitor into a gentle embrace. “You can’t help what you’re afraid of. You’re only human.” He paused a moment. "You know the Champion of Kirkwall is scared of spiders too? Varric told me. Though the ones in Kirkwall were a bit larger..." 

 

Libby snorted a little, but still held onto tight, burying her face in his neck. “Sometimes I think I need reminding of that. Not that giant spiders exist, but that I'm only human. You can add that to your list of duties from now on Commander.”

 

“Along with spider-catching?” Cullen smiled into her hair.

 

“Along with spider-catching of course.” Libby agreed, tilting her head up to close the gap between them. It was a short, sweet kiss, the kind they shared when there was more than a small chance that someone would see them. Libby was smiling when they pulled away. “Okay, so what’s your stupid fear? You know mine. I think it’s fair enough don’t you?”

 

Cullen was caught off guard by the question, and he frowned as he thought about it. “I don’t know. I’m not overly fond of demons or abominations? And even though I’ve never seen one personally, darkspawn?”

 

Libby rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t count even a little bit. Those things _should_ frighten you. Come on... there must be something?”

 

“Fire?”

 

_“Cullen!”_

 

He laughed a little at her petulant expression, reaching out to cup her face, smiling as the expression softened immediately. “I’ll tell you one thing I’m really scared of...” He said softly, stroking an idle thumb over her cheek. “I’m really scared of losing you.”

 

Libby’s cheeks went pink, but she held his gaze. “Well that really is a stupid thing to be scared of.” She said, voice low with that edge that made him shiver. “Because you’re not going to lose me. Not ever.”

 

Cullen responded in the only way he knew how, by kissing her again.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr at: http://stripeydani.tumblr.com/


End file.
